Aitor Hierro

Aitor Hierro is an Ikerbasque Research Professor at the Biofisika Institute, a joint research center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), where he leads the Membrane Trafficking Laboratory. His research focuses on the structural and molecular mechanisms of endosomal trafficking, cargo recognition, and protein interactions underlying cellular compartmentalization and disease.

His research interests lie at the intersection of structural biology, cell biology, and biophysics. He investigates how cargo proteins are selectively recognized and transported within endosomes, a process critical for cellular homeostasis. His lab studies the fidelity code of trafficking and how its malfunction contributes to disease. Additionally, they explore how toxins and pathogens hijack these pathways for cellular entry. This work has broad implications for understanding infectious diseases and cellular signaling.

Dr. Hierro employs a multidisciplinary approach combining X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), biochemical reconstitution, ITC, and SPR to elucidate higher-order mechanisms in intracellular trafficking. His research is characterized by transdisciplinary collaboration with computational biologists and cell biologists to validate structural models in physiological contexts.

Scientific Awards:

• Ikerbasque Research Professor

Dr. Hierro has established an independent research program supported by his Ikerbasque appointment, which enables long-term, high-risk research. While specific grants are not listed, the Ikerbasque position itself is a major competitive award. He has fostered collaborations across disciplines to advance mechanistic understanding in membrane trafficking. There is no public list of advisees provided, but he likely mentors PhD students and postdoctoral researchers within his laboratory.

He leads the Membrane Trafficking Laboratory at the Biofisika Institute, located in the Science Park of the University of the Basque Country. The lab emphasizes structural and biophysical approaches to solve biological questions and maintains strong collaborative networks with experts in computational simulations and cell biology.